Timberwolves forward Derrick Williams is scheduled to meet Friday with president of basketball operations Flip Saunders to finalize a deal that will keep the former No. 2 overall draft pick in Minnesota through the next two seasons, barring a trade.

That does not mean, however, that Williams will inherit the starting spot at small forward.

Coach Rick Adelman said he'll put in the best man for the job at that position for the Oct. 30 season and home opener against Orlando and then go from there.

"The first game doesn't mean that's how it's going to be for 82," Adelman said.

Williams, who will be paid $5 million this season, has a $6.3 million option for 2014-15 that must be exercised by Oct. 31 or he would become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

While the Wolves say there will be no announcement until Saunders and Williams sign off on the contract, Williams talked after practice as if he foresees no problems.

"I think everybody knows that if they didn't pick up my option I would have been unrestricted and basically could have done whatever," Williams said. "So it helps, the security. You're guaranteed at least one more year in the NBA, you know?"

Williams and Saunders talked by phone Tuesday morning, but because Saunders was out of town, a meeting was not scheduled until Friday.

Williams averaged 12.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in 2012-13, his second season in the league, getting most of his minutes at power forward in place of the injured Kevin Love.

Advertisement

Expecting a healthy Love to take over that position this season, Williams arrived at training camp 20 pounds lighter at 235, saying he should be quicker and just as strong. He has played both small forward and power forward in preseason games this month, and he started at small forward Sunday in Minnesota's 104-89 win over the Boston Celtics on in Montreal, making 2 of 5 shots from the field and scoring five points.

"With the team we have, I think with me in the starting lineup, it's going to be tough to stop," Williams said. "We have a lot of size, and we do a lot of things."

Williams, 6 feet 8 and nearly 240 pounds, has said from the beginning of camp that he should have an advantage because he will be bigger than most small forwards.

To date, however, it has not gone that way, and Adelman said Tuesday that the small forward spot -- expected starter Chase Budinger is sidelined indefinitely after knee surgery -- remains up for grabs.

Corey Brewer started at small forward during the early exhibition games, and Adelman indicated he might try one or two other players at that spot when the Wolves close out the exhibition schedule with games Wednesday at Philadelphia and Thursday at Detroit.

"I'm just going to put different people there the last two games and try to figure out what our rotation is going to be," Adelman said.

Brewer, who is 6-9, 188 pounds, came off the bench to produce seven points, six rebounds and two blocked shots against the Celtics.

"You do see the difference when he came off the bench the other night; he just brings so much energy," Adelman said. "I know he did that for Denver last year. If he did come off the bench, he'd be one of the top sixth men in the league."

Adelman said he would prefer to find five starters and stay with them, but things will have to work themselves out. Brewer also can play shooting guard, while rookie Shabazz Muhammad can play small forward or shooting guard. Rookie Robbie Hummel, who played last season in Spain, is another possibility at small forward.

Williams, who had seven rebounds against the Celtics in about two more minutes of playing time than Brewer, was praised by Adelman for his work on the boards. Defense? Not so much.

"He's played very hard," Adelman said, admitting that he perhaps needs to cut Williams some slack because he's working at two spots.

Entering his third season, Williams said he'll take the court at whatever position Adelman chooses.